Western Skies Shorts
by Anrui Ukimi
Summary: Shorts that take place during the main story, generally from other POVs. These will make very little sense if you haven't read Western Skies first. New short is a slightly late Father's Day story. Less cavity inducing than the last, I promise.
1. I don't feel like dancing

Again, if you haven't read Western Skies yet, these will make NO sense! Give WS a go, and I hope you like it! :)

Note: These are unbetaed. I abuse my beta enough, I spare her from these. XD

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**I Don't Feel Like Dancing**

Len bowed to the lovely Bolian woman at the end of his randomly-paired dance, and walked back to where Jim was standing, rolling his eyes at the smirk on the younger man's face. "_What_, Jim?" Jim smacked him on the shoulder, and he barely kept back a wince.

"You old dog, you never told me you could dance! You cut quite the figure out there with Cadet Slic." Len scowled and grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing server's tray, taking an overly-large swallow.

"That's because I never had a reason to bring it up. Don't think I've danced like that since my wedding." Jim raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't tell me where you learned to dance." Len glared at Jim, but the man just looked right back at him with that infuriatingly calm smile. Damnit.

"My mother made me take classes," He muttered quietly, and Jim grinned.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Len turned up the venom in his eyes, but it just bounced off the brat. Figured.

"You heard me, you ingrate." Jim made a hmming sound, before looking back towards the crowd.

"Looks like the next group is going to get called now." Len looked towards the stage, where the cadet that had been emceeing was holding up a PADD. Well, at least he was done. Jim hadn't been paired off yet, and they were almost done with this farce. Len glanced over at the sand-haired man, who was watching the host intently.

"Should I prepare for treating your partner's toes, Jim?" Len said, giving Jim a little smirk. Jim rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"I've been practicing, I told you. Just be prepared to be dazzled by my skill."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Jim opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the announcer.

"Officers, Cadets, Honored Guests, it is time for the second-to-last round of our randomly paired dances! As always, if you are not confident in your skill, simply try your best, and get to know the person you are paired with." Len listened as she began to read off the pairs, noting that Cadet Uhura was paired off with a Vulcan instructor, and Admiral Gaynor was joined by a nervous looking male cadet. The dance floor continued to fill, and Len waited with Jim for his name to be called. It didn't take long. "Captain Christopher Pike and Cadet James Kirk." Len felt Jim stiffen next to him, and he glanced towards the cadets that had been doing the _random_ matching, who were futilely trying to suppress their feelings on the scheme. There was nothing random about this, and a look over at the congregation of officers confirmed that he wasn't the only one who believed that. Captain Pike looked torn between amusement and annoyance, and Admiral Archer leaned in and spoke into the Captain's ear with a look that announced that he was utterly entertained by the whole affair. The crowd was already buzzing, and Jim groaned almost imperceptibly as he walked onto the dance floor to join the older man. The rumors had been persistent, despite Jim proving that he was there on his own merit soundly over the last year. Instead, they had actually gotten harsher, the whispers transforming from Jim having bent over for the Captain for admission to an on-going affair where the Captain was clearly adjusting scores in exchange for service on his knees; the meaner versions pointing out that Jim's mouth was probably the only reason why Pike put up with him, as there was no way that the Captain would hit _that _otherwise. It was completely baseless, disgusting, and it was also one of the only things that seemed to truly bother Jim; not for his own sake, but for the Captain's. All Jim had told him to explain their obvious camaraderie was that the two had known each other before Starfleet, and that Pike had been a friend of his parents. Jim's advisor was Admiral Archer, not Captain Pike, so there was very little opportunity for the types of dalliances that usually drove these sorts of rumors. Everyone who paid attention to the campus gossip would be watching them like a hawk.

The last of the pairs were read off, and everyone turned to their partners and gave slight bows. Len watched his friend and the Captain; Jim gave a bemused smile to the older man, who appeared to return the sentiment with a tiny shrug as the music began to play. The two formed up, the Captain's hand at Jim's waist, Jim's hand on Pike's shoulder. As they started to move, one thing became crystal clear to Len. Jim wasn't joking about having practiced. He wasn't perfect, but his mistakes were slight, minor footing errors as the two men worked their way around their portion of the dance floor. He could see that the two were talking to each other occasionally, but their constant movement and close proximity made their words impossible to decipher. As the music sped up, and they began to do the spins and twirls that often screwed people up, leaving elbows in stomachs and that sort of thing, Len realized that these two were incredibly comfortable with each other. There was no fear or tension, like two people in a forbidden affair might act in a forced situation, nor was there any great passion. They were relaxed and confident, and were most definitely one of the better dancing pairs on the floor. He got a very specific vibe from them, but it wasn't anything he would attribute to lovers. As Len and the rest of the crowd watched the dance wind to an end, he figured it out. It wasn't like watching a couple in love, it was like watching a parent and child dance at a wedding; affection and familiarity without any romantic emotions getting in the way. The two men bowed and said a few more words to each other before parting, and Len found himself coming to two conclusions. Jim and Captain Pike were most certainly not having an affair on the side. However, they were most certainly better acquainted than Jim had let on. Len could hear the gossipmongers chattering around him, and he sighed. These damn kids didn't know how to read body language. Jim walked back to his side, a strange look on his face, and Len raised an eyebrow, causing the younger man to give him a second glance.

"Ooo, what's the eyebrow for?" Len snorted and shook his head.

"Nothing. You were actually pretty damn good out there." Jim preened and chuckled, and this time Len did roll his eyes.

"I told you I practiced, Bones." Jim looked towards the officers; Captain Pike was facing away from them, but Admiral Archer inclined his head and gave them a smile. Jim returned the smile, before turning back to Len. "Got any plans for tomorrow?" Len shook his head no, and Jim grinned. "Awesome. I'll make us lunch. I'll pick you up at ten."

It didn't even hit Len until he was in the shower after the ball that he had been invited over to Jim's place. He had never been to Jim's place, didn't even know where it was. As far as it appeared, Jim popped out of the ground right outside the Academy wholecloth every morning. But Jim had a lot of secrets, it had just been one more to add to the pile of things Len didn't pry into.

The next morning, Jim blew in like a tornado, and before Len could get a word out edgewise, they were in a taxi heading away from campus, with Len quickly noticing that they were passing the area of tired residences that the off-campus crowd usually inhabited.

"Er, Jim, where are we going?" The smile Jim flashed was completely guileless, and Len decided to just shut up and enjoy the ride. The houses transformed from cheap rent fixeruppers to the moderately well-to-do gated neighborhood known as the Ghost Town, due to its mostly Starfleet residents leaving their homes empty during deployments. Len had been here once, during a party thrown by Admiral Gaynor for the Medical staff, but why the hell would Jim live here? The taxi pulled up to a tall, narrow house, and Jim paid for the fare without a word being said from the driver. As the taxi drove away, Jim hopped up the stairs like a goddamned rabbit.

"Well, come on!" Jim placed his hand against the identification pad, and the door unlocked. Len followed the younger man into the house, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Hey Dad, I'm back!" Jim paused, just enough time for Len's eyes to widen in disbelief. "-and yes, I brought Bones with me." Len followed Jim's gaze, towards what appeared to be the entrance to the kitchen.

"Only took you a year to bring him over, Jim." Len turned his shocked eyes on none other than Captain Pike, who walked out of the kitchen dressed in a tight-fitting t-shirt and worn jeans, his hair falling in loose curls onto his forehead, with a dishrag thrown over his left forearm. He had never seen the man out of uniform before, and the effect was jarring. The Captain gave him an accomodating look as Jim slipped around them and into the kitchen. "Welcome to our humble abode, Doctor McCoy." Len remembered his manners enough to stutter out a reply.

"Captain! Jim didn't tell me about a damn thing, I wasn't expecting to see you." Len thought with a mental wince that that may have just been the dumbest thing he had ever said; Pike's expression split into heartfelt laughter, the lines around his eyes deepening with the motion, and Len decided that he was just completely out of his element. He glared past the captain in the direction of Jim, who was clanking around in the kitchen. "Friend of the family, huh?" He growled, and the captain chuckled again.

"Chris, Doctor; at least in my own home. My devious coward of a son-" A shouted "hey!" was heard from the kitchen, and Pike- no, Chris rolled his eyes. "-realized, as did I, that you were definitely suspicious after the whole dance racket last night. So I suggested he just man up and bring you over." Len blinked, and Chris patted him on the shoulder before turning and walking back into the kitchen. "You better not be eating my lunch, you brat!"

"You made a ton of it, old man, stop being so stingy!" Jim said, around what sounded like a mouthful of whatever was on the stove; Len looked into the kitchen to see what was going on, just in time to see Chris snap Jim in the head with the dishrag, causing Jim to drop the spoon he was holding back into the pot and grab the back of his head with a snarl.

"If you are going to eat it, finish cooking it for me. I'm going to have a chat with the doctor." Jim scowled but did not resist, and Chris dumped the dishrag on the counter by the younger man before exiting. Len followed Chris to another room, where he motioned for Len to sit down in a sofa while he dropped into a plush recliner. "Sorry about this, Doctor."

"Leonard. Or Len. Either is fine." Chris nodded.

"Fair enough." Chris crossed his legs and gave Len a serious look. "Well, go ahead and ask, Leonard." Len just blinked.

"Dad?" Len muttered, and Chris chuckled.

"It's not common knowledge, as you have just found out, but I've had custody of that scoundrel since he was eleven." Len looked at the man, and it suddenly all made sense. Their obvious affection, their frequent chats around campus (the same ones that had really spurred the rumors,) Jim's anger towards the people perpetuating the talk that effected the captain; it all made sense. People were just drawing the worst conclusions. "As I think was pretty plain last night, he was learning his ballroom dancing from me and John." Len nodded, but his brain caught the last word.

"John?" Len said, and he heard the front door open. Chris lifted a hand and pointed.

"John." Swiveling his head around, Len watched as an equally-casually dressed Admiral Archer walked in, giving him a kind smile before flopping into the chair next to Chris's.

"Admiral." Archer snorted, and waved a hand.

"Just John, Doc. No need to stand on ceremony when we are all in jeans and thrashed t-shirts." John quirked a naughty smile. "So, now you know that Chris isn't bending Jimmy over a table in exchange for good grades, yeah- ow! Motherfucker, Chrissy!" Len was pretty sure he looked like a moron, with his mouth hanging open as the normally unflappable Captain hauled off and smacked the famous tough-as-nails Admiral across the back of his head, leading to an interesting string of profanity and a...very amusing nickname. Chris glanced over at Len and rolled his eyes.

"Don't even think about it, Leonard." Len shook his head, and the older man nodded. "Smart man." Len felt a chuckle slip past his lips, and both Chris and John raised their eyebrows.

"I think I know where Jim gets some of his quirks from," He said as the chuckles moved into full-stage laughter; he was joined by both men moments later.

"He's got a point there, Chrissy."

"I think it's just you, old man." Len watched as the two of them began to argue back and forth, and he was reminded of the _other_ rumor that occasionally popped up involving Captain Pike, before being dismissed in lieu of more scandalous stories involving Jim. The two men didn't even look up when Jim entered the room and sat down next to him on the sofa. Len leaned in towards Jim's head.

"Are they always this-" Jim grinned.

"-married? Yep, although they'll both deny it." Len looked at the two dubiously.

"I know many a person who would call what they're doing foreplay." That got a giggle out of Jim, and he shook his head.

"The two have been sailing the great river denial for well over a decade. It's reaching epic proportions at this rate." Jim affected a beatific expression as both subjects of their talking seemed to realize that they weren't alone, turning in unison to glare at the two on the sofa. Len barely suppressed a shiver.

"Is lunch ready, Jim?"

This was going to be an interesting next few years.

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Takes place during their 1st military ball, in #5. :)


	2. Someday out of the blue

Again, if you haven't read Western Skies yet, these will make NO sense! Give WS a go, and I hope you like it! :)

Note: These are unbetaed. I abuse my beta enough, I spare her from these. XD

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**Someday out of the blue**

"I hope you weren't looking forward to having grandkids, Chrissy. Well, I suppose they could adopt-" John was staring at a PADD with guitar tabs for an old bluegrass song while sprawled at the kitchen table, his chair tipped back on its hind legs and leaning against the wall. Chris almost hit his head on the edge of the kitchen counter as he pulled out a pot out from under the stove.

"What _are_ you going on about, John?" Chris said, giving him a strange look as he grabbed a package of spaghetti noodles. John let his chair fall down as he raised an eyebrow.

"You know what I'm talking about, Captain." Chris snorted in response as he filled the pot with water and started it to boil, then grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator, passing one to John.

"They've only known each other, what, a year and a half? I think you are reading into their relationship a little too much, John. Don't you think you're jumping the gun a bit?" Chris said, as he walked out of the kitchen. John watched the younger man leave silently, the smokey black fabric of his instructor's uniform fitting him like a glove as usual. John swung his legs and hopped to his feet, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"I wonder where I've heard that before," he said quietly, and followed Chris out of the kitchen.

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Takes place anytime during the second year in #5.


	3. I'll still be here

This was written as a meme answer on my lj, with the requester asking me for a little bit of background regarding the incident John mentions at the beginning of part three regarding the Orion pirates. SAP WARNING.

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**I'll Still Be Here**

Phillip needed to get Jim out of Sickbay and to bed. He had been drooped next to his father's bedside ever since he had been wheeled out of surgery, and any attempts to remove him had been met with short shaky statements that could all be translated to the same phrase. It was probably a good thing that the Captain wasn't awake to hear them. Nurse Church looked like she wanted to strangle the boy, but she couldn't stand children in general, though, so Phillip took her opinions towards Jim and the others with a grain of salt; but even ever-patient Doctor Hirai was starting to look concerned. A growing teenager couldn't get quality sleep from bending awkwardly to rest his head on his father's bed. He looked over at the boy and sighed. He could hear humming coming from him, a sweet sound that was only barely touched by the roughness of puberty, and tamped down a shot of guilt as he approached the Captain's bedside. Jim didn't look up.

"Jim, I know you don't want to, but you need to go back to your quarters and get a decent night's rest." Jim shook his head before he was even done speaking, and Phillip didn't bother hiding his sigh. "I'm going to have to make it an order, then." That got the teen's attention, with a first-class glare being immediately leveled on him, and he snorted. "Jim, he's stable. Why don't you go back, take a shower, and give Admiral Archer a call? He's already aware of events through the official channels, but I'm sure he would appreciate hearing the latest from someone less...formal."

"I- I don't want him to wake up alone." ...and that was the crux of the matter. Phillip gave a slight smile, and ruffled a hand through Jim's dirty hair, chuckling when the boy jerked away.

"I promise, Jim; the instant he shows any sign of waking up, you'll be the first to know." Jim clawed at the bedsheets by the Captain's hand for a moment, his eyes downcast; Phillip felt his smile fade under the reality of the matter. Christopher had spent time in sickbay many times, but this was by far the worst. Debris from the battle with those damned pirates had struck the bridge head on, killing an ensign and all but impaling the captain in his chair; the look on his son's face when he had emerged from surgery had been heartbreaking. He honestly doesn't know what would have happened if he had been forced to impart _different _news. Watching as Jim squeezed the older man's hand one last time as he rose to his feet, Phillip is relieved beyond words that it didn't come to that.

"The- the instant he-" Jim's blue eyes were glassy, and Phillip nodded.

"That very instant. I promise." Jim stared at him with pinched lips for a long moment, before nodding and heading out of the room. After a few minutes, he dialed up the security records to make sure the teen had gone to their quarters, and nodded to himself when the screen confirmed it. Stepping away from the console, Phillip walked to his captain's bedside and checked his vitals, then gave the sleeping man a fond smile. "You have a good kid, Christopher. A good kid."


	4. How much is that doggie in the window

This is a silly dialog-heavy short regarding poor Porthos and the fallout among those who have to deal with John. ^_~ Takes place approximately six months before the end of #5/start of #6. :P

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**How Much is that Doggie in the Window**

"Jim, we need to reschedule your next appointment. The admiral isn't going to be available today." Jim blinked at Ms. Nakashima, who was looking particularly frazzled.

"-okay..." He glanced towards the closed office door. "I hope it isn't something bad." John's secretary groaned, dropping her head into her hands; Jim shot her a worried look. "-can you tell me?" The older woman's mouth twisted, and her eyes flicked towards the closed door before nodding.

"The admiral has been working with an officer on a transporter theory project lately...and they hit an impasse." She was keeping her voice down, and he leaned over to hear her better. "The officer- errr- decided the best way to prove that he was right was to transport something." He grimaced.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" The look she flashed gave him his answer.

"So, um, said officer took poor Porthos." With that, Nakashima sighed and slumped in her chair as Jim's jaw dropped.

"_What_?"

"_Shhhhhh_!" His jaw snapped shut as she flapped a hand wildly in the air. They both looked again at the door, but when there was no sound, they sighed in unison. Jim grimaced.

"This is bad." The glare the woman leveled on him could have stripped paint.

"Welcome to my life, Jimmy." He licked his lips as he glanced towards the closed door.

"He loves that dog almost as much as he loves Dad." Nakashima's glare transformed into a pinched expression.

"-that's a whole other can of worms I don't wish to think about right now." Jim gave the older woman an appeasing smile as he patted the top of her hand.

"Speaking of, does Dad know yet?" She shrugged as she gave another blank gaze in the direction of John's office.

"I honestly don't know." Jim straightened, pulling down the hem of his jacket.

"Sounds like I have recon to do. Especially if today ends the way I think it's going to end." That got a smirk out of the beleaguered secretary, and she waved a hand to shoo him out.

"Probably a good call. Get out of here, and good luck." Jim gave a casual salute as she sat up and started looking down at her work.

"You too, ma'am." Jim all but sprinted out of the room, keeping a good pace until he reached Chris's office. Yeoman Colt gave him a smile as he walked in.

"Anything I can help you with, Jim?" He shot the woman a bright smile while giving a quick incline of his head towards the inner office door.

"Is the captain available?" Colt paused, then held up a finger.

"One moment." She called into the office, before nodding. "Go right in." Jim nodded his thanks to Colt as he entered. Chris was sitting at his desk, glaring at a PADD as he walked in.

"Good afternoon, sir." Jim grinned as Chris looked up and gave him a questioning look.

"Why, may I ask, do I get the honor of a visit?" Jim pulled over a chair in front of the desk and flopped into it, resisting the temptation to kick his feet up.

"My counselling appointment was cancelled." The older man raised an eyebrow as he gave the PADD he had been examining one last glance before setting it down.

"Huh. Any reason why?" Jim's lips twisted.

"-I'm taking that as you haven't heard the news yet." The eyebrow inched up a little further. He'd never be in Bones' league, but the parental-ly charged glare made up for it in spades.

"I suspect you'll be filling me in soon." Jim hopped to his feet and flipped the chair around, settling into a perch.

"An officer that John was working on some sort of transporter theory experiment with decided to just try and prove his case." Chris's face went flat.

"I'm not going to like this, I have a feeling." Jim shook his head and looked his dad square in the eye.

"Guy decided to use Porthos." The older man's eyes instantly went saucer-like, and Jim rocked a bit on his feet in restrained amusement.

"Oh- shit." Yep, he had definitely made the right decision by coming straight here.

"Yeah, that was my basic response." Chris got to his feet and began to pace in silence, before spinning on his heel and looking at his son.

"Did I restock the liquor cabinet?" Jim nodded.

"A week ago, unless you drank it all already." The answering glare was standard, but his dad nodded as he stared at the far wall.

"Good. Feel like crashing on Leonard's couch tonight?" Jim frowned, before letting a mischievous smile creep onto his face.

"I am not missing this for the world." Chris's expression went sour.

"Jim, be nice." The innocent look hadn't worked in years on Chris. Damnit.

"That's no fun." Jim paused, before the corners of his lips began to twitch up. "No, wait, you are completely right. I'll stay with Bones tonight." The older man rolled his eyes as he sat on the edge of his desk.

"-you are such a pain in the ass, Jim." Jim scoffed, blinking up at Chris with a beatific expression.

"I haven't a clue why you would say such a thing." Ooo, he was getting the official _don't fuck with me_ look now. He waved a hand in dismissal. "Alright alright. But still, I'll stay with him." Chris sighed and looked towards his door.

"John is not going to be pleasant to be around for awhile." Jim tried his best to keep his face blank. He wasn't succeeding very well. "_Jim_."

"I didn't say anything!" Chris scowled and rolled his eyes.

"You didn't need to." Jim hopped to his feet, rounding on the other man.

"Hey, I liked Porthos! Except when he was trying to chase my wings and pull my feathers out. Then we had relationship problems." That earned him another eyeroll, but it was more for show. Chris slouched against his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hopefully he turns up soon. I don't have enough credits to keep John distracted for long." Jim skipped back a few steps as the grin threatened to overtake his face.

"I don't think you need credits for that." Chris almost fell off the edge of his desk.

"_Jim_." Just as Jim was pondering an equally irritating response, the door to the office hissed open in apparent terror as John stormed in already in full rant mode.

"Chrissyyyy, I need to somehow substantiate sending one of the best engineers in Starfleet to somewhere dark and desolate for a few months." Jim watched his dad pinch the bridge of his nose again with a sigh. He hopped to his feet and worked his way to the exit, patting John on the shoulder as he passed.

"-aaaand that's my cue to leave. See you two later!" John was glaring at the window like it had offended him and made no response, but Chris dredged up a resigned expression and gestured to the door.

"Get out of here, you brat."


	5. Everybody's looking for a way

**Alright, kids; with one exception, this will probably be the last short you get until I get #6 done. On a positive note, this short takes place during the latter half of #6 (without giving more away than an obvious plot point.)**

**Enjoy! :D**

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**Everybody's looking for a way...**

"Alright, that's it!" Jim jumped in his seat as Bones surged to his feet, stalking up to Jim and grabbing his arms, forcing him to drop the PADD he was looking at and pulling him to his feet.

"Wait, we talked about the manhandling-" The older man snorted as he leaned over, and before Jim could do little more than squawk, he was dangling over Bones' shoulder, getting a rather nice view of the man's rear.

"You talked about the manhandling, I didn't agree to anything. Why would I agree to something that would take all the fun out of life?" Jim growled, smacking a wing against Bones' back as they began to move; when Jim realized where they were headed, he began to squirm in earnest.

"Bones, you can't climb stairs while carrying me! Put me down-" They were climbing the stairs. Goddamnit. He stopped whacking Bones on the back with his wings, afraid that they would go tumbling back the way they came if he kept it up. Bones was taking firm careful steps, and Jim had no more time to complain before he was being shrugged off the older man's shoulder and bounced onto a very familiar bed. "If you wanted to do something else, why didn't you say anything?" Jim sat up, pulling down his shirt as he glowered. "The caveman move is kinda weird for you, Bones. Seriously." The other man sat down on the bed next to him.

"You-" Bones sighed, wrapping an arm around Jim's shoulders and using his body weight to push them both down on the bed. Jim's brow furrowed as he kicked his feet lightly.

"I think I'm missing something here," Jim mumbled and wriggled some more, leading to a growl from Bones, who moved on top of him, pressing him into the mattress. "Yep, definitely missing something." His voice was little more than a wheeze with the bulk of the older man pinning him down, and he settled for giving Bones a dry look.

"Jim, you need to learn how to relax." Bones shifted enough to let him breathe, but he was still pretty firmly pinned down.

"What do you mean I need to learn how to relax? That's what I was doing!" Jim tensed, trying to free his arms so he could push the dead weight _off_, but all he managed to do was make Bones roll his eyes at him.

"Jim, you weren't relaxing. You were reading reports on the Enterprise's repairs and twitching like an addict needing a fix. Kind of like you are trying to do now. You've been like this ever since we came back. I'm pulling doctor's privilege and prescribing some downtime. No wriggling, reading, talking, or moving." The older man moved a bit more, allowing Jim a little bit of space. "We are going to lay here and relax for a bit." Jim turned his head to boggle at Bones, who was letting his eyes drift closed.

"Did you just drag me up here because you wanted to _cuddle_?" Bones' neck flushed, but he shook his head firmly before leaning in and pressing his forehead against Jim's.

"No, I am making you practice the fine art of not moving. Or talking. So shut up." He closed the gap, planting a soft kiss on Jim's lips before pulling back and closing his eyes.

"...and people think _I'm_ the weird one in this relationship." Jim grumbled, leading to a slight tightening of Bones' grip.

"Shhh." He grumbled a bit more on principle, but the scent of Bones' aftershave was oddly soothing, and his warmth comforting as he stopped trying to escape; he traced the contours of the older man's face with his eyes until he drifted off.

* * *

Jim woke slowly; his body felt like it was floating, every muscle lax as he lay there on what he was pretty sure was his bed. He didn't want to wake up, but there was something missing- His face scrunched up as he slit open an eye, his sight blurry as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

"..._that_ was true relaxing, Jim." That's what was missing. His eyes opened to see Bones sitting next to him on the bed, and he gave a sleepy frown.

"Why you up?" Jim mumbled up at the fuzzy shape; Bones smiled, running a hand through Jim's hair.

"Maybe I like watching you sleep." That drew an amused snort out of Jim as he reached for the older man; Bones brought his legs up and settled back down beside Jim in response.

"You know, Bones, some people would find that kind of creepy." He leaned in and let his lips brush the side of Bones' neck, smiling slightly at the sudden intake of air.

"Considering one of your favorite past-times of the last few years was to fall asleep on my thigh whenever convenient, I find your assertion highly unlikely in your case." Bones let out a quiet gasp as Jim latched his teeth onto the pulse on the older man's neck. "What are you, a vampire?"

"Do these look like bat wings to you?" Jim swung one wing over and ran it down his bedmate's side, leading to a full-body shiver that Jim felt resonate through his own frame as he tilted his head up and nipped at Bones' chin. "Well?" Arms wound around his waist, and Jim was rolled over until he was laying on top of Bones; exactly opposite from their earlier arrangement.

"You woke up fast," Bones drawled as he ran his hands down Jim's sides, leading to Jim giving a shudder of his own as arched his back sharply and stretched out his wings.

"You might say I was...inspired." Jim waggled his eyebrows, grinning as the older man barked out a surprised laugh; he shivered again as Bones' fingers traced his pectorals, grazing his nipples before working their way down the thin line of hair on the middle of his stomach.

"Is that dumbass for _I'm horny_?" Bones said wryly; Jim threw back his head and laughed just as the doctor's fingers reached his pants.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about, Doctor." He smirked and ran his hands under Bones' shirt, feeling the muscle under his fingertips as he worked his way up to his chest. "You wanted to help me relax, right?" The older man groaned, but his face had a smirk that made Jim lean over and bite the man's bottom lip in revenge.

"I've created a monster."

The fact that he chose that moment to work his hands into Jim's underwear somewhat compromised the veracity of his position, but Jim really didn't find himself minding much.

If at all.


	6. But if we are wise

This was written for ...oh darn, I'll fix the name at home sorry! for the help_chile auctions last month. She requested a sweet scene between the two.

I wrote this as a VERY sappy side scene to #6. As such, it references some things that haven't happened yet. I will not explain them. :P

I get cavities every time I read this, hopefully your dental bills won't be as bad! XD

* * *

**But if we are wise**

Jim shifted next to him, the covers sliding off his waist to rest at the start of the swell of his buttocks as he mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath. Len leaned over and gently tugged them back to cover up to the bottom join of his wings, letting his hand linger on the younger man's back; smooth skin pliant under his fingertips as he traced a line of pale freckles up to the eruption point of the first feathers, the fine barbs tickling the back of his hand. If someone had told him even six months ago that he would be sleeping beside someone with wings, he would have immediately checked them for hallucinogenic drugs. But now...he couldn't imagine anything else. Pulling his hand away from Jim's sensitive back before he woke him up, he moved his fingers to Jim's fine hair, the gold-copper-bronze mixture dark in the negligible light coming through the curtains. It fascinated him to see those same colors in the man's wings, a grounding realization that the unexpected appendages truly did belong to him, that they weren't just alien things attached randomly to his back. He would never understand how Jim had managed to hide them for so long as he did, crushed under bioplast harnesses and layers of clothing; Jim was lucky they hadn't been stunted or damaged in their growth by the constant strain. He had seen limbs malformed under lesser circumstances. He could see the marks in his skin, the legacy left behind by over a decade of constriction; odd dents and surface abrasions worn into light scar tissue around where the bones had been forced against his back. He could heal them, but Jim had told him not to bother. They acted as calluses, dulling the discomfort when he would need to wear the contraption in the future. He scowled, and let his fingers trace down Jim's cheek. If he had his way, that damn harness would be recycled on the spot. Jim shouldn't have to hide what he was, shouldn't have to risk dangerous circulation issues just because people couldn't get their heads out of their asses and leave him alone. If only it were so simple.

Letting his fingers stroke through Jim's hair, Len closed his eyes and let his mind drift. That recent trash that he had spotted in the tabloids had been so ridiculous that they had both dismissed it, instead focusing on enjoying their peace and quiet out in the mountains; but the odd reception when they had gone into town had brought it into stark focus again. People had been keeping a wide berth around the two of them, and even more infuriatingly, shooting him sympathetic or even _concerned _looks. Goddamned idiots will believe everything they read, even out of the sketchiest of sketchy holo-rags; how long was it going to take before they get to Jim's mother with this shit? Len opened his eyes at that thought. Now that was a variable he hadn't thought too much about. He had known that Jim's relationship with the woman was on shaky ground, even before _everything;_ Jim had mentioned her twice, if that much. It wasn't his business, and he had simply added it to the list of things he didn't bring up to the younger man. He had never realized just how serious it was until he had overheard Jim speaking to her over the comm, his voice dryer than his desert in August as he reminded his mother about how she had been considering killing him the day his x-gene activated...had been clutching a Starfleet-issued phaser set to kill when Chris arrived that night, as he later found out. Len had dropped the PADD he had been holding on the spot, meeting Jim's shuttered eyes with horror until the younger man shook his head in dismissal.

_She freaked out, Bones, she wasn't thinking clearly_. That's all Jim would say to him when he brought it up later, and no amount of sputtering and arguing would budge him further. Freaking out. His own mother had been contemplating his murder, and all he would say about it is that she freaked out. If Len had had any reservations about Jim's lack of contact with his mother (which he hadn't even thought about, truthfully) they would have been smashed to bits by that revelation. Even now, almost fifteen years later, the woman was unable to meet her son's eyes for any period of time, and she had rather conspicuously kept her gaze away from his wings throughout their conversation. He looked down at Jim's wings, twitching slightly as Jim enjoyed his REM sleep, and sighed. They were such a part of Jim, so very central to much of his behavior and sense of self that he couldn't imagine the younger man without them now; even when thinking back to events before he had known, his brain was usually updating the Jim of the past with the Jim he should have seen since day one, the beautiful being they should have _all_ seen. Jim stirred under his hand, his head turning towards the pillow, causing his fingers to run through the short locks. God, he was a lost cause. He could care less about Starfleet, about the goddamned world for that matter. If it wasn't for Joanna, he would be happy to just stay here forever with Jim; watch him catch the Santa Ana winds, see the gold tints in his feathers glow under the desert sun as he travelled through the sky. He had loved Jocelyn, truly loved her; but he couldn't even compare that feeling to the one that threatened to overwhelm him every time he met Jim's eyes. He was seriously glad that those idiotic rumors were nothing but; because if Jim really was able to do mind tricks, Len was pretty sure he would have died of embarrassment the instant the younger man had focused on him. There were just some things he didn't need to articulate out loud. Jim had continued to wriggle about as he mused, and the wing nearly smacking him in the face made him look down at the culprit, the laugh tumbling out before he could stop it. Jim had curled into a fetal position of sorts, with his face completely obscured by the pillow; his butt was sticking in the air with his legs folded up underneath his torso and his arms tucked up under his chest. He had seen cats do a similar pose, with all their limbs hidden under their fur, but it looked far less ridiculous on a cat. It was also probably going to kill the circulation to his legs after awhile. Unable to keep his mirth entirely under control, he ducked under the wing threatening to bonk into his nose and worked his arms down the younger man's sides, grasping his waist and pulling him up out of the curled position.

"Mmm...wha'?" Jim's voice was nearly incomprehensible with sleep, and Len settled back into the pillows, letting the winged man squirm around until he found a comfortable position again.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, but Jim couldn't exactly behave, could he? Bleary and slightly-crossed blue eyes peered at him in the twilight, and he brought his hand back up to run down Jim's face.

"Why are you up?" Jim's full lips were pursed and frowning, and Len chuckled and leaned in to kiss the frown away.

"Just thinking." Jim snorted at that, and Len found himself pushed into the pillows as the younger man moved on top of him, resting his head on his chest and letting his wings dangle over his arms and droop off the bed. He was going to be roasting by the time he woke up again.

"Stop thinking and go to sleep, Bones. If you are stewing about that dumb shit in town earlier, don't. I'm a big boy, I can handle it." Jim's lips tickled against his chest, and he sighed as he wrapped his arms around Jim's waist.

"You shouldn't have to be _handling _anything, Jim." Jim snorted again, and he tightened his arms around Jim's waist in response. "Seriously, Jim. This isn't the twentieth century anymore. People should have moved beyond all of this petty assumption shit." Unwinding one arm from Jim's waist, he reached up and lifted Jim's chin. "You aren't an island, Jim. You never were. You don't need to handle this sort of thing by yourself." The younger man frowned and pulled his face away from his hand, burrowing into Len's chest.

"I need to, Bones. I can't keep burdening everyone with my shit."

"That's what we are here for, Jim. If Chris heard you talking like this, he'd smack you." He relaxed minutely at the chuckle that erupted from Jim at that comment, and let his eyes drift closed. "Let's get some sleep, Jim; you won't be able to keep that pretty face of yours intact if you keep staying up all the time." A hand crept up his chest, and strong, callused fingers swept across his lips.

"Awww, do you really think I'm pretty, Bones?" Len cracked an eye open to see mischievous blue eyes looking up at him, and he raised an eyebrow as he closed his eyes again.

"No, you idiot, I'm just saying that." There was no reply, and the silence that fell between them began to lull him to sleep. Just as the darkness overtook him, he felt Jim's mouth move against his chest one more time, the faint stubble scratching against his skin rousing him just enough to hear the younger man's words.

By the next morning, however, he couldn't decide if what he heard was "Thank you," or, "I love you." But when Jim lifted his face from its resting place on his chest and gave him one of those eye-crinkling toothy grins that lit up both the room and a place in his heart that he had once thought completely lost, it really didn't matter.


	7. I'll be there when the light comes in

I'm still working on #6, but life and general angst has gotten in the way lately. I WILL finish it, do not worry! Thanks for putting up with me!

This was started (and was supposed to be finished) on Father's Day. This takes place about 2-4 weeks after Chris convinces Jim to come back and join Starfleet. I had always planned that he had been picked up shortly before the Summer term/session/trimester/semester, so the timing works out.

I hope you enjoy! :D

* * *

**I'll be there when the light comes in**

"What is that racket?" Jim grumbled as he stuck his head into the fridge, trying to find something to eat. He extracted a forgotten chocolate bar from the back, cringing when the pounding started up again outside. Chris shrugged absently with the practiced ease of someone who knew exactly what was going on, and had no real intention of saying anything, causing Jim to glare. "That's not an answer."

"Alkaios been getting his house overhauled for the last month; I have no clue what they are doing over there, but it's beginning to sound like they are constructing a labyrinth in the non-existent bedrock below the place." Jim flopped into the chair across from his dad, noting the sour expression with amusement.

"Hopefully he doesn't sink the neighborhood while he's at it." Chris smirked, tipping his head back and downing his drink before setting the glass on the table between them with a thunk.

"Because you are just getting used to that nice shower, right?" Jim crumpled up the wrapper to the candy bar, then got to his feet and threw it in the recycler with a lazy toss.

"Damn straight! That thing is awesome, if you had told me about it, I would have come back soo-" Jim snapped his mouth shut as Chris's face went horribly blank, but not before Jim could see the hurt that flashed behind the older man's eyes. He needed to learn when to keep his goddamned mouth shut. Chris rose to his feet, his eyes shuttered; Jim felt like shit.

"I need to go to Command for the afternoon. I'll be back this evening." Jim tried to get his mouth together to say something, but the words died on his tongue as he watched the clean lines of his dad's back as he left the room, the front door opening and closing only a minute or so later. Jim groaned and pillowed his head in his arms. God, he was an idiot. Chris had convinced him to come back, hadn't given up on him, as the newly installed massive shower in his room clearly showed, and he had shoved it all back in his face. Again. A niggling feeling at the back of his mind made him push himself to his feet and head straight over to the nearest console, hitting a few buttons before his shoulders slumped.

"It's Father's Day." Jim licked his lips and shifted from side to side as he tried to process that information. "Shit!" He had to do something. Even if it was just a small gesture, he couldn't just let the day go unacknowledged, especially after the near-clusterfuck that he had made of this morning. He licked his lips again as he contemplated a plan of action before sitting down in the chair by the console. He had some calls to make.

* * *

Jim heard the click of the front door lock, and he scrambled to get the enchiladas and tamales onto the table before Chris made it all the way inside. The door closed seconds later, and he could hear exaggerated sniffs from the other room, causing him to stifle a chuckle. He had considered just taking him out to dinner, but you just couldn't find the right stuff north of Santa Barbara...not the way he knew Chris liked it, so cooking it was. It had been awhile, but he didn't think he had screwed it up too badly.

"Something smells great, Jim. Planning on throwing a party or something?" Jim just grinned as Chris came into the room, watching as the other man took in the spread laid out on the dining room table, his eyes widening at the sight. "Jim- what's all this for?" Chris's raised eyebrow was trying its best to compel him to speak, but Jim just blinked at him innocently until his dad sighed and rolled his eyes. "Am I allowed to eat any of this?"

"What do you think, Dad?" Jim snorted, waving the older man to a seat. "What do you want to drink? I went out and picked up tequila and Negra Modelo, if you want something somewhat fitting." The smile creeping onto Chris's face was one Jim hadn't seen in awhile, and the fine lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes were a welcome sight as the man reached out and took the beer from his hand, taking a sip before setting it down and surveying the table again.

"You didn't have to do all this, Jim." Yeah, he had figured it out. Jim shook his head as he sat down across from him, grabbing a beer for himself before indicating the food.

"I wanted to, Dad. Simple as that." Chris nodded as he began to load up his plate, and the silence that descended was comfortable as Jim followed suit. After a few minutes filled with the clatter of silverware against plates and the faint sounds of chewing, Chris took a long pull of his beer as he set his fork down, and Jim paused mid-bite as the older man turned his grey-blue eyes on him.

"Thank you, Jim. Everything is wonderful; you must have started on this as soon as I left." Jim gave his dad a boyish grin, neither admitting or denying, and he finished up the bite of enchilada on his fork before setting his own fork down on the plate.

"I've got something else for you, too-" Jim got to his feet and crossed the room to where he had left a PADD, hitting a few buttons before walking back to the table and passing it over to Chris, who squinted suspiciously at the information on the screen. Jim settled back into his seat and began to eat again as he kept an eye on his dad, whose gaze narrowed further as he took in what he was looking at.

"You rotten brat," Chris said, trying to give Jim a dirty look; the smile quirking up the corners of his mouth made the statement rather impotent, and Jim snorted as he waved a hand towards the PADD.

"I was assured that a Klingon could get on some of these horses without freaking out, so I thought we could make a day of it without having to worry about me getting thrown or kicked." Chris was grinning unabashedly now, and Jim could feel his cheeks warm as the older man's eyes told him exactly what he thought of the gift.

"Convict Lake, huh- haven't been there since my own Academy days." Chris set the PADD down and got to his feet; Jim watched from his chair as his dad maneuvered around the table and walked up behind him, closing his eyes as Chris leaned over and wrapped his arms around Jim's shoulders. Chris and John were the only ones who could get away with it without Jim having a borderline panic attack, and Jim welcomed his dad's body heat as he felt soft, dry lips press briefly against his temple before withdrawing, a hand ruffling his hair. Chris returned to his seat and picked up his fork, glancing down at his plate before meeting Jim's eyes firmly. "It's good to have you back, son." Jim nodded, keeping his head lowered as he fought back an irritating prickle at the corner of his eyes.

"It's good to be back, Dad."


	8. Look up at the stars at night

Written as an attempt to shake off my writer's block...a bit more bittersweet than I usually write. Hope you enjoy! Takes place during #6.

* * *

**Look up at the stars at night**

"It's still there." Len squinted up into the night sky, the faint sliver of moon visible not obscuring the fantastic view of the stars, stars that he had been among not too long ago. He tilted his chin back down and looked at Jim, who was lounging on the granite shelf next to him, his right wing draping off the edge. If the man wanted to practically dangle in midair, it was his business, but he would stay further away from the certain-death drop.

"What's still there?" Len arranged himself carefully next to Jim's left side as he spoke, avoiding the fine bones of the wing as he made himself comfortable, allowing the feathers of Jim's left wing to cradle his head. The younger man's eyes slid towards him for a moment before returning to their perusal of the stellar landscape, and Len sighed. "Well?" Jim's lips tightened, and he wondered if he was ever going to get an answer as the silence stretched between them. He tracked a fly lazily with his eyes as Jim shifted almost imperceptibly next to him; he looked back over at the other man when Jim stretched his right arm into the air, pointing at some random spot of light.

"That." Len attempted to follow the line Jim's finger was indicating, but after a few seconds of turning his head back and forth, he gave up.

"Jim, I'm a doctor, not a stellar cartographer. What the hell am I looking at?" Jim had fallen silent again, the look in his eyes one that Len wasn't quite sure how to read, but he didn't think he liked it.

"In about five years, we won't see it anymore." It took another few beats, but awareness dawned on Len. He looked back towards the cluster of stars that Jim was pointing at, and although he knew it was his brain playing tricks, one of the lights suddenly looked dimmer. He knew what he was looking at now.

"There was nothing you could have done, Jim. If we had arrived with everyone else, we would have been probably blown to bits." Jim sighed, his eyes darting over to meet Len's before returning skyward.

"I know that, but sometimes..."

"Yeah, me too." The two men laid there in silence until a buzzard flew overhead, obscuring their view of the particular points of light they had been observing, and the spell was broken. Jim's wing twitched under his head, and Len sat up and moved off, allowing the younger man to follow suit.

"Beautiful desolation." Len raised an eyebrow, and Jim continued. "It's totally a cliche phrase, but that's what one of the first human visitors to Vulcan described it as. I think...it's more true now than it ever was." Len frowned, but couldn't think of anything to say in response.

"Why don't we go in for the night, Jim; there's bugs and other things out here just waiting to give us a rash or worse." Jim's neck was still craning towards the sky, and Len reached out and touched a finger to his jaw, Jim's eyes widening slightly with the contact before his chin lowered and he smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. Old man like you isn't used to the wilderness like I am." Len snorted, grabbing and gently tweaking a few feathers on the wing he had been laying on just a minute prior, earning a full-body squirm from the younger man. Much better. Before he could say anything, however, Jim's arms wrapped around him from behind; and he let out a rather undignified squeak as Jim jumped from the ledge, wings unfurling immediately as they set into a lazy spiral downwards towards the desert floor. Len listened to the wind as they descended, before the whistling was replaced with a more melodic tune being hummed directly into his right ear; he listened to it in a vain attempt to put a name to the tune for several spirals before he gave up.

"Jim, what's that you're singing?" The humming continued for several beats after he spoke, the last note trailing off as the desert sand came further into focus.

"Just an old song I've always liked." Len felt when Jim's wings changed their angle, their bodies pulling up into a more upright position as they prepared for landing.

"Sounds familiar, but I'm not sure-" He trailed off as the ground came up on them, and instinct had him bending his knees slightly as they touched down; they wobbled together for a second before they stabilized, and the arms wrapped around his waist tightened before he was released. Without a word, Jim turned on his heel and headed off towards the house, Len following a moment later. He watched as Jim's head tilted back towards the sky, the jaw working as he began to sing for real.

"Miagete goran...yoru no...hoshi wo-" Len had no idea what the man was saying, but Jim stopped walking after the first verse, letting him catch up. As soon as he came up alongside, Jim wrapped both his arm _and _wing around Len and started walking again, never pausing in his song.

"...chiisaana hoshi no..." Len stopped trying to understand the lyrics, simply enjoying Jim's pleasant voice as he opened the front door to the house, his eyes glancing up at the stars one last time before the door closed behind he and Jim.

"...chiisaana hikari ga..."

* * *

The song is Kyu Sakamoto's _Miagete goran yoru no hoshi wo _(Look Up at the Stars at Night,) and there are various nice videos on YT that you can pursue of it. :)


	9. Acapella

**Title**: Acapella  
**Series:** Western Skies (Post #6 Short)  
**Author**: Anrui Ukimi  
**God-like Beta**: I don't bother her for shorts xD Let me know if you see something screwy~  
**Rating**: PG  
**Warnings**: AU, Wing!fic, Jim being a moron again  
**Word count**: 3037  
**Pairings**: Jim/Bones  
**Notes/Disclaimer**: Not mine, I just like playing with them. :)

Obviously, #6 isn't finished. I've not been writing the last few months, except for a handful of paragraphs here and there, and I need to get back in the game. This short was the result of that determination, along with the inspiration caused by remnants of a childhood histamine headache condition that gives me bouts of dizziness and vertigo, usually in the wintertime. xD; I hope it doesn't stink too badly.

Besides the fact that WS!Jim obviously gets the Enterprise, there's no spoilers for the unfinished half.

The title is based on a specific song title, not the genre. :)

* * *

**Acapella**

Jim opened his eyes against the bright lights that filled the room, serving as his morning alarm. Better light than an irritating audio alert; those made him leap out of bed and perch on the closest high vantage point, as Bones had discovered the first day on the Enterprise together. Only the threat of the possibility of Jim breaking his against-regulations liquor in a future leap kept the doctor from keeping the audio alarm on strictly for his amusement. Jim snorted, stretching his arms and wings out carefully before allowing his muscles to fall lax against the mattress. He took a moment to allow his brain to boot, listening to the faint sound of the sonics coming from the bathroom. Right. It was time to get up. Jim sat up with a groan and stretched again, grimacing as he heard the bones in his arms pop with the effort. He felt like an old man, especially lately; he was no stranger to aches and pains, but things had been a bit off since that mission on Garo II a few weeks earlier. He had tried to go for a quick flight in the rec room the night before to burn off energy, but he had felt so disoriented that he had been forced to stop after only a few minutes. Not that he had admitted that to anyone. Swinging his legs over the sides of the bed, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pushing himself to his feet. It didn't help. The room swam around him alarmingly, and he dropped back onto the bed, clutching at his hair. It was a good thing that Bones was in the shower, as Jim really didn't want him hovering over him; he loved the man to death, but he freaked out over the sniffles. He didn't want to know what he would do with a few dizzy spells. He was a big boy, he could take care of himself. Jim took another deep breath and slowly got to his feet, feeling his equilibrium try to assert itself as he stood stock still. After a moment, he felt almost normal again, and he made the bed and laid out his uniform as he heard the sonics shut off. It was just a bug of some sort, no need to get Bones all riled up over nothing. He'd be fine by the end of shift.

* * *

Jim's improved health lasted until after he returned from his lunch break. He had been forced to cling to the walls of the turbolift as it returned to the bridge, closing his eyes against the whirling sensation that threatened to overtake him. He didn't get dizzy. He barely remembered what it felt like, hell, it had almost been twenty years since the last time he could remember getting dizzy. It was one of the fringe benefits of the whole being skinny and feathered bit, and to have it suddenly abandon him was becoming a bit...alarming. Jim steeled himself as the doors opened to the bridge, stepping out carefully, but when half the bridge seemed to turn around and look at him, he knew he looked off.

"Is there a problem?" He grumbled as he slowly made his way towards his chair, trying to concentrate on his feet and not the spinning in his head or the eyes that were following his every mood.

"Captain, are you well?" Spock, of course; Jim sighed and tilted his head to look at his first officer, only to be forced to slam his eyes shut as the motion made everything spin faster, and he swallowed back the burst of nausea that accompanied the vertigo. This was getting out of hand. "Captain?" As much as the Vulcan would deny it, he could hear a tiny note of concern in his voice. Damnit. Forcing his eyes back open, he looked over at Spock, who had risen from his seat.

"I'm just feeling a bit under the weather, Spock, I'll be fine once I sit do-" The room tilted alarmingly as he missed the step and fell forward; he managed to get his arms out to keep his face from smashing into the floor of the bridge, but the movement had cost him. The bile bubbled up his throat, and he let himself slump completely to the ground in hopes of refraining from humiliating himself further in front of his crew.

"Bridge to Doctor McCoy." Uhura's voice brought Jim back to awareness, and he tensed.

"No, I'm- I'm fine. Don't call Bones-" A warm hand gently moved his left wing out of the way, and Jim knew from the smell of incense and sand that Spock was next to him. He tried to push himself up out of his sprawl, only to have Spock stop him. "Spock, I just-"

"Captain, you have been showing increasing signs of disorientation and fatigue over the past thirteen days. I initially believed that you would speak with Doctor McCoy about your symptoms, but it is clear that you have not done so." The censure in Spock's voice was crystal-clear, and Jim couldn't resist a childish scowl before managing to shrug the Vulcan's hand from his shoulder and sit up, only to slam his eyes shut and drop his head into his arms.

"I thought it was just a cold, and Bones gets so neurotic when people around him get sick-" The sound of turbolift doors hissing closed behind him cut him off, and Jim couldn't bite back a groan as a familiar cadence of footsteps came up beside him.

"I'll show you neurosis, you featherbrained idiot. I knew something was off the last week or so, but you kept denying anything was wrong. That's the last time I trust you to tell me about your health-" Jim knew he was screwed when he couldn't even dig up the proper vitriol to bitch right back at Bones, but luckily, his first officer intervened.

"It would be easier to do a direct transport back to Sickbay rather then attempt to move the captain, I believe." Then again, his first officer could go jump off a cliff.

"No, no, just- just give me a moment. I can-" Bones cut him off with a snort, a harsh sound in contrast to the soft beeps coming from his tricorder.

"Jim, you can't even sit up straight. Let's just save you the additional embarrassment and transport you." There was a pleading tone in Bones' voice that stopped any additional complaint, and Jim let himself sag against his favorite doctor as the tingle of transportation overtook them.

* * *

Bones frowned at his tricorder before looking up to meet Jim's barely open eyes. "You know, Jim, if you had just said something, I would have been able to take care of this a lot sooner. But because you let it go for so long, you are going to be laid up for a few more days while I clear this infection out." Jim sighed and shifted a bit on the bed, wriggling his wings to try and find a more comfortable position.

"What in the hell is wrong, anyway?" Jim grumbled as he finally gave up trying to get settled on his back and flipped himself around onto his stomach, only to moan when his head promptly told him that moving was a bad idea. Bones hissed behind him in response.

"Damnit, Jim, stop moving, the nurses don't need to be cleaning up after you. You've picked up some nasty slow-moving bacterial infection, probably from Garo II, as that was your last away mission, that's been trying to melt your inner ear. You are lucky I can reverse this, Jim; fifty years ago and you would have been grounded for good. This is why you need to tell me when you aren't-"

"_What?_" Jim winced at the octave that came out at, but alarm quickly overpowered it. "Are you saying I can't fly? Bones, I can't, I have to-" He didn't even realize he was hyperventilating until the hiss of the hypospray and the feel of Bones' broad hand resting on his back snapped him out of his panic.

"Jim, calm down, don't go getting yourself all worked up for no reason. I said _fifty years ago_ we would be having a different conversation, not now. The damage is mostly topical at this point; think of it as a nasty sunburn, just on the inside of your inner ear. I am grounding you for at least a few weeks even after I finish the treatments, I don't want to risk you flying into the ceiling of the rec room or something equally damaging if you push yourself too soon." Whatever Bones had given him was definitely helping him relax, and Jim sighed as his tensed up muscles relaxed into the mattress.

"Only a few weeks?" Bones' wonderful hand was gently rubbing at the area above his wings, and Jim told himself that the impromptu massage was the real reason that his voice sounded so shaky and young.

"As long as everything goes smoothly, only a few weeks." Bones' voice was unnaturally soft, and Jim sighed again as he felt his eyelids grow heavy. "Just relax, Jim, I'll have everything done by the time you wake up." Bones' hand on his back moved up to his hair as he spoke, rubbing light soothing circles into his scalp as he drifted off.

* * *

After a day and a half in Sickbay, Jim finally managed to convince Bones to let him convalesce in their quarters on their nice, comfortable, _definitely_ non-regulation bed instead of the barely tolerable slabs he was forced to endure every time he visited Bones' domain. Although the treatment was completely successful, according to Bones, Jim's equilibrium wasn't returning as fast as he'd like, and he had been going out of his way to make sure Bones didn't notice this. Bones had enough on his plate, and Jim had been taking care of himself all of his life. There was no need to get his favorite surly bastard (and he meant that in the kindest possible way) all wound up over nothing. His plan worked out for approximately twenty-four hours, when nature called before Bones had left for his shift. Eying the older man out of the corner of his eye, he pivoted his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself to his feet, using his wings to help stabilize himself. He hated feeling like this, like he couldn't control his body like the carefully honed instrument it was. He couldn't risk giving up control. Things went badly when he was forced to do so. Jim shot another glance at Bones, who was staring with great intensity at a PADD that was probably telling him the secrets of the universe, then snorted silently and stepped towards the bathroom. He made it about three steps before he jerked his head at the sound of Bones putting his PADD down on the desk, the resulting whirlwind in his head knocking him right off his feet and depositing him painfully onto the floor.

"Damn it, Jim! Why didn't you just-" Bones' voice trailed off, and Jim heard him take a deep sigh before gently wrapping his arm around Jim's waist and hoisting him to his feet. "Bathroom, right?" Jim didn't bother to reply, and Bones sighed again before walking him to the toilet. "Let me know when you are done." Bones walked out of the bathroom, leaving Jim to contemplate what had just happened. The expected lecture had been cut off, replaced by something that sounded a lot like resignation. It was a tone he last remembered coming out of his dad's mouth over five years prior, when he wouldn't return home and wouldn't tell him what he was doing- Jim choked on his own spit as he finished and pulled his pajama pants back up. What the hell was he doing? He hated what he had done to Chris, had seen the way the man had just looked lost in the last few conversations they had bungled through before that day they ran into each other back in Riverside. Now he was doing it to Bones, who sure as hell didn't deserve it either. He looked towards the closed door with trepidation; he needed to say something, but he wasn't sure what.

"Jim, you alright in there?" Jim flinched at Bones' voice, the guilt quickly overrunning his own pity party. If he could stand up to psychotic Romulans, he could face his own partner.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Jim made his way to the door and stepped out, his balance only wobbling a tiny bit as he looked over at Bones. "Bones, I-" The other man shook his head and wrapped his arm around Jim's waist again.

"Let's get you back in bed." Another minute found him safely ensconced back under the covers, and after a long pause where Bones just _looked_ at him, the doctor sat down on the bed next to Jim. Jim could barely meet those warm hazel eyes.

"Bones, I wanted to- ah, err-" Jim couldn't get his tongue to work right. Why in the hell was this so hard? "I-" Bones' mouth twitched, but he remained silent. "I'm sorry." It took the fact that the covers were trapped by Bones' rear end to keep from Jim from wrapping his wings over his face out of some sort of childish embarrassment, but he knew that Bones had seen the twitch from under the sheets.

"And what are you sorry for, Jim?" Bones' tone was still far too soft for Jim's liking, but there was an edge there that told him that he was on the right track.

"I'm not used to asking- I'm used to taking care of myself." Jim muttered the last few words, and Bones huffed.

"Jim, I know very well you aren't used to asking for help. All I want is for you to understand that you don't have to hide anymore. There's no danger of getting Chris in trouble, no issues with revealing yourself; that's all in the past." Bones leaned in until his face was only centimeters from Jim's. "I just want you to trust me." Jim blinked, his mouth falling open from shock.

"Bones, I do trust you!" And he did, more than anyone besides Chris and John; he had no idea what Bones was talking about. "How can you say that I-" Two fingers over his lips cut him off, and he met the other man's eyes with worry.

"Yes, I know you do, for the most part. You just don't trust me enough to let me take care of you."

"But-"

"I'm not talking about when I'm actually patching you up in Sickbay for whatever latest damn disaster you've gotten yourself into, I'm talking about the fact that you don't tell me if you are feeling ill. Weeks, Jim; you could have told me immediately that you felt a bit off, and I would have figured out the problem in less than ten minutes. But you didn't trust me enough, and here you are, laid up with intermittent vertigo spells and falling flat on your face because, _again_, you won't just ask for some damned help!" Jim normally never so much as twitched when Bones got on one of his rants, but he couldn't fight the guilty flinch at the anger and hurt on the older man's face.

"I didn't want to worry you." Jim whispered, and watched as the anger bled out of Bones' frame, the broad shoulders slumping slightly. After a moment, Bones swung his legs up onto the bed and laid down next to Jim, his hand coming up to cradle the back of Jim's head.

"You damn idiot. Didn't you think that doing this to yourself was just going to make everyone, and by everyone I primarily mean _me_ even more worried about you? The Vulcan was two seconds from picking you up and carrying you to Sickbay the other day, and Nyota was about to sit on you to keep you from trying to get up again. They knew something hadn't been right, just as I had." Jim scowled, but finally dragged his eyes up to meet Bones' familiar hazel.

"I'm sorry." Bones quirked a sad sort of smile at the apology before leaning in to kiss Jim.

"I don't ask for miracles, but could at least try to let me help you sometimes?" Bones murmured against Jim's lips, Jim's eyes crossing as he tried to focus on the face only centimeters from his. Bones was right, something needed to give, and that something was him. He had managed to weather the storm after everything else came to life, but he was still acting like it was him against the universe, even when it came to Bones. There was no good reason for it.

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask." The skeptical look Jim leveled on Bones told the older man exactly what Jim thought of the statement. "But if you let something like this go this long again, you feather-brained imbecile, I will hypo you with something that will make you resemble an Arbazan vulture, you got me?" Jim snorted, then grimaced.

"I don't think you want to deal with the sudden urge to scavenge that would accompany that." The grin that passed over Bones' face was downright frightening, and Jim groaned internally.

"I'd just have Spock deal with you." Yeah, that grimace wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Jim tried to poke Bones in the chest, but the sheets were still trapping him down. He settled for a smirk instead.

"You _are _a bastard."

"I cultivate it every single day before I get out of bed." His limbs were still trapped, so he leaned in and bit at Bones' bottom lip before replying.

"As long as you are _my _bastard." Bones returned the bite, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"I am as long as you want me to be."

"Oh? Should we pick out the retirement home now?" The hand that came down on his rear end wasn't completely unexpected, but still-

"...ow."


End file.
